As Rāma stood before the venerable sage Viśvāmitra, the sage spoke with assurance and blessing: “With these weapons, you shall conquer your foes on earth—whether they be gods, asuras, gandharvas, or serpents. You will subdue them all in battle.” Then, with a heart full of grace, Viśvāmitra declared, “O fortunate Rāghava, I bestow upon you all these divine weapons. I shall give you the mighty and sacred Daṇḍa-cakra.” Viśvāmitra continued, naming each celestial armament as he conferred it: the Wheel of Righteousness, the Wheel of Time, the fierce Discus of Viṣṇu, and Indra’s own discus. He gave the thunderbolt missile, the excellent trident of Śiva, the Brahmaśiras weapon, and the missile of Īśa. “I give you, mighty-armed one, the supreme Brahma missile, and two auspicious maces, Modakī and Śikharī,” he said. “O tiger among men, O prince,” the sage continued, “I bestow upon you the blazing noose of Dharma, and the noose of Time as well.” Next, he granted the Varuṇa noose and the supreme Varuṇa missile, along with two thunderbolts, both dry and wet. Then came the Pināka missile, the Nārāyaṇa missile, and the beloved Agneya missile called Śikhara. “O sinless one,” Viśvāmitra said, “I give you first the Vāyavya missile, the Hayashira missile, and the Krauncha missile.” He bestowed two spears, the dreadful Kankāla, the mace, the skull, and the Kiṅkiṇī. “All these I give for the destruction of the Rākṣasas,” he declared, “as well as the great Vidyādhara missile and the one called Nandana.” With deep reverence, Viśvāmitra continued, “O mighty-armed son of the foremost king, I give you the jewel among swords, the beloved Gandharva missile called Mohana.” He bestowed the sleep-inducing Prasvāpana, the pacifying Praśamana, and the gentle missile, as well as those that cause rain, drying, heat, and lamentation—Varṣaṇa, Śoṣaṇa, Saṃtāpana, and Vilāpana. He gave the irresistible Mādana missile, beloved of Kandarpa, and the Gandharva missile named Mānava. The beloved Piśāca missile called Mohana was granted, too. “Receive these, O tiger among men, O illustrious prince,” he said. The Tāmasa missile, the mighty Saumana, the irresistible Saṃvarta, and the Mausala were given next. Then came the Satyam missile, the supreme Māyāmaya, and the Sauram called Tejaḥprabha, which draws away the power of others. The Soma missile, called Śiśira for its cooling power, the dreadful Tvaṣṭra missile, the fierce Bhaga missile, the Śīteṣu, and the Mānava were all conferred upon Rāma. “O Rāma, mighty-armed one,” said Viśvāmitra, “take these, which can assume any form at will, of great power and utmost excellence. Accept them at once.” Then, after purifying himself and facing east, the great sage joyfully gave Rāma the supreme collection of mantras. He revealed to Rāghava those weapons whose full mastery is difficult even for the gods to attain. As Viśvāmitra recited his sacred chants, all the splendid weapons appeared before Rāghava. With joy, the weapons themselves approached Rāma, hands joined in reverence, and spoke: “O Rāghava, we are your devoted servants, most noble one. Whatever you desire, may it be auspicious for you; we shall accomplish it all.” Hearing these words from the mighty beings, Rāma’s spirit grew serene. His heart full of delight and his energy radiant, Rāma then saluted the great sage Viśvāmitra and prepared to depart. Having received the weapons, pure and with a joyful countenance, Rāma, the descendant of Kakutstha, spoke to Viśvāmitra as they walked: “O revered one, I have obtained the weapons and am now unconquerable, even by the gods. But, O foremost of sages, I wish to learn the means to withdraw them as well.” Pleased by Rāma’s humility and wisdom, Viśvāmitra, steadfast in discipline and pure in mind, imparted the knowledge of withdrawal. He taught Rāma the secrets of Satyavanta, Satyakīrti, Dhṛṣṭa, and Rabhasa, as well as Pratihāratara, and the methods for facing and turning away these powers. He instructed Rāma in Lakṣya and Alakṣya, Dṛḍhanābha and Sunābhaka, Daśākṣa and Śatavaktra, Daśaśīrṣa and Śatodara, and many more: Padmanābha, Mahānābha, Dundunābha, Sunābhaka, Jyotiṣa, Śakuna, Nairāsya, and Vimala. He taught Yaugandhara and Vinidra, destroyers of demons, Śucibāhu, Mahābāhu, Niṣkali, Viruca, Sārcirmālī, Dhṛtimālī, Vṛttimān, and Rucira. Further, he taught Pitrya and Saumanasa, both Vidhūtamakaras, Paravīra, Rati, and Dhanadhānya. He revealed Kāmarūpa, Kāmaruci, Mohamāvaraṇa, Jṛmbhaka, Sarvanābha, and Panthanavaruṇa. “O Rāma, accept the radiant, shape-shifting sons of Kṛśāśva from me; you are worthy. May it be auspicious for you.” Rāma replied respectfully, “Certainly,” his heart inwardly rejoicing. At that moment, the divine, radiant, embodied weapons appeared, bringing delight to his soul. Some shone like glowing embers, some were like smoke, some gleamed like the moon and sun, and some stood with hands joined in reverence. With sweet voices and hands folded, these beings addressed Rāma: “Here we are, O tiger among men; command us—what shall we do for you?” Rāma replied gently, “Go as you wish, O descendants of Raghu; in times of need, you will assist me with your minds.” Thus, armed with celestial knowledge and divine weapons, Rāma walked on, his spirit serene and his purpose blessed by the wisdom and grace of the great sage Viśvāmitra.